Paul Gallo is a man looking for answers. The year before the events of this novel begin, his twin brother, Danny, went missing in the tiny town of Dread’s Hand, Alaska. Paul — a teacher in Maryland — is too far away to investigate . . . until, after news that a mass murderer in Dread’s Hand has led the police to his victims’ graves. Is one of the victims Danny? He must find out — as it turns out, the only way he can do so is go to the Alaska town himself. But answers will not come easy.

I loved this novel much more than I was expecting to, and the hype for it was already through the roof. This one deserves all the praise it gets, and more. It is a rare thing to find a horror novel (and, yes, this is very much a horror read) that hits all the right notes: Ronald Malfi‘ prose is on point; bleak horror is wrought from the mystery at the center of this tale. As my friend Edward said in his review, dread drips from this book’s pages. From the first chapter to the last, this will hold you spellbound. Promise.

I really can’t think of a more perfect read for this time of year — when the days get shorter and the weather gets colder. Malfi is great at setting; I truly felt like I was in this desolate Alaska town while reading. The atmospherics are just spot-on. Alaska is such a mysterious place, really, and ripe for scares; why is more horror not set there?

My highest recommendation. Now I must check out everything else Ronald Malfi has written.